Oscar Peterson Plays Count Basie

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 900, 2 November 1956, Page 16

Oscar Peterson Plays Count Basie

PERSONNEL; Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), and Buddy Rich (drums). First Playing: Station 2YA, November 5, 10.30 p.m. "LESTER leaps in" at a phenomenal speed, backed by vocal encouragement from, I presume, Peterson, gives us a grand start to the programme. Wonderful interplay within the quartet is well in evidence in this Lester Young classic, and the listener cannot help but marvel at the mental dexterity of these musicians, "Easy does it" opens with gently swinging drums by Rich, while the entry of piano, guitar and bass is beautifully effective. The tempo is really "easy." "9-20 Special" runs a little behind schedule according to my timetable. I would have liked an express rendition but I was quite contented to ride along with the goods conveyed. The faster "Jumpin’ at the Woodside" opens with the guitar quoting the theme, filled in by Peterson’s tasteful phrasing, and fades out with the boys. still jumpin’. "Broadway" and "Topsy" give all artists a chance to shine, while "Blue and Sentimental" (how like "Can’t We Talk It Over?") spotlights Peterson’s thoughtful piano against a sympathetic rhythm background. A typical Basie piano leads into "Blues for Basie,’ but an unnecessary preponderance of Brown’s bass spoils any attempt to recreate the atmosphere of those famous solos recorded by the Count during 1938-1939. Listen, especially for some fine chords from the Basie left hand repertoire towards the end of this one-they steal the track. Ray Brown opens on "One O'clock Jump," and then is followed in by Rich, then Ellis and finally Peterson in real Basie strain. This composition is, however, essentially an orchestral vehicle and interest tends to wane towards the end of this slower rendition by the quartet. The programme closes with "Jive at Five" (rather reminiscent of the opening bars of "I Won’t Dance") and features Rich playing bongos, a rather unusual role for this talented musician. Neal Hefti and his Orchestra First Playing: Station 2YA, November 5, 10.0 p.m. GREAT deal of the popularity enjoyed by the new Count Basie Band must be credited to the arrangements it plays and the largest individual contribution to the book of this orchestra has been made by Neil Hefti, the arranger who gave us Woody Herman’s

famous "Caldonia; 93 "Apple Honey,

'"The Good Earth" and | "North-west Passage." | Hefti recognises the importance of rhythmic emotional force to jazz. His scores therefore are not unduly complicated or abstract, and yet they bring out the hardest punches from the ensemble with occasional solos _ scattered throughout to relieve any possible monotony. For these reasons, I was expecting something outstanding from this orchestra of Hefti’s, but I was disappointed,

His is an unspectacular but polished group which leaves little with the listener for future interest. This may have partly been due to the fact that most of the compositions and all of the arrangements are Hefti’s. His arranging, not his composition, conducting or playing, is his chief attribute, so perhaps the album might have been improved by an increased percentage of standards. "Buttercup" appeals most. Played in a medium bounce tempo with the lead trumpet stating the theme in the opening chorus, this is music for most, not straying far from the attractive melody and showcasing the polish of this rather commercial band. Harry James and his Orchestra SELECTIONS recorded between July, 1955, and January, 1956. First Playing: Station 2YA, November 12, 10.0 p.m, EATURED musicians in this session are James (trumpet), Smith (alto), Tizol (trombone), Lorden (clarinet), and Stewart or Corcoran (tenor), while arrangements include those of May, Holmes, Hefti, McDonald, Thompson, Matthias, Conniff and Wilkins. There has been a _ definite trend during the past few years to recreate in the world of jazz the music of the swing era. At the height of his popularity in the early forties, Harry James played to thousands of fans and many of his record sales reached the million mark. Since then he has stepped out of the limelight, but on these new recordings we hear*the James band as it really sounded, Here are the same items and in most cases the same arrangements which Harry has been playing for years, but now the James trumpet is right in your room and the rhythm section is no longer the dull thud but four distinct and separate instruments blending into a solidly swinging force which drives the whole band. The old "78s" did not give us anything like this live sound. Listen to this session if only to rekindle your memories of what was one of the finest swing bands in the business, and pay special attention to "Crazy Rhythm." The attack of the brass and the soaring trumpet of the maestro himself leave you speechless. The Eighth Festival of Jazz SELECTIONS from this concert, which I reviewed in The Listener of October 12, will be presented at 9.0 p.m. on November 8, from Station 2YD.

Ray

Harris